You've Got Fail(71)

“Damn.” Pauly nodded. “That would be…” He laughed. “That would be awesome. Mickey would never forget a birthday like that. I’d invite all the crews from the neighborhoods. They’d be talking it up to all the bosses.” He sobered. “But Hannah owes me a lot of money.”

“Look.” Jason waved his hand at his chips. “I’ve got a thousand more dollars to lose in this game. That’s 2k right there.”

Pauly’s expression soured. “That’s not even a dent on fifty.”

“I’ve already paid you fifteen.” Daphne tried to step in front of me, but I wrapped my arms around her. No way was I letting her get any closer to danger.

“Fourteen thousand, seven-hundred and twelve, to be exact.” Pauly flipped a chip across his knuckles, back and forth between his fingers as Jason played and the rest of us held our breaths.

“Well, if you aren’t interested, I did have another engagement next month that I could go to.” Jason shrugged nonchalantly. “I can go ahead and have my agent book my flight for that.” He reached into his pocket for his phone.

“No.” Pauly stopped walking the chip across his fingers. “No, I’ll do it.”

Daphne let out a relieved breath. Frank let me go, and I was awfully proud of myself for not pissing my pants when he’d pulled the gun on me.

Jason kept playing as Pauly walked up to Hannah and whispered in her ear. She nodded and finished dealing the hand before stepping back and letting Frank take her spot.

Daphne pulled away from me and grabbed Hannah in her arms. “Thank god.”

“I’m okay.” Hannah rested her chin on Daphne’s shoulder. “Everything’s okay.”

“Let’s get out of here.” Elias gestured toward the front door.

Daphne and Hannah hurried away, Elias and I bringing up the rear.

“Jason?” I waited.

“Go on. I’ll be wiped out in a second, looks like.”

“Okay. I’ll be right outside.”

Pauly didn’t give us another look, only focused on Jason. “When the Vampire fleet blew up Commander Reptilian’s home world, how did his long-lost cousin show up in episode four with a…” His voice trailed away as we walked out into the morning.

The sun still hid behind a layer of clouds, but it could have been snowing for all I cared. I scooped Daphne into my arms and twirled her around on the sidewalk.

She clung to my neck. “Oh my god. You did it.”

“Well, Jason did it—”

“No, it was you.” She kissed me hard on the lips. I answered, leaning her back and pressing her close.

We kissed until she laughed against my lips. “You conned him.”

“I learned from the best.” I claimed her mouth again, spinning her in a circle as we celebrated with shared breaths and seeking tongues.

When we came up for air, and I set her on her feet, we found Hannah and Elias sharing a passionate embrace.

“Ew, sister kissing is the worst kissing.” Daphne turned her back and stared up at me. “I love you.”

Had any other phrase been uttered so beautifully? “Say it again.”

She put her palms on my cheeks, her brown eyes staring into mine. “I love you, Willis.”

“What if I told you my real name isn’t Willis?”

Her eyes widened. “It’s not?”

“No, it is. Just a hypothetical.” I coughed. “That has now ruined the moment. Shit.”

“You are a big, dorky, sexy nerd.” She pulled my face down to hers.

“That you love.”

“Yes.” She brushed her nose against mine. “That I love.”





27





Daphne





We dropped Hannah and Elias at my apartment, then took a cab back to the city. Jason had waved away our thanks, playing it off with the sort of grace you’d never expect from someone famous like him.

Willis and I couldn’t keep our hands off each other, even though Jason sat beside us and played on his phone. He glanced at us and grinned. “Get it.”

By the time we got to Willis’s apartment and inside his front door, my top was halfway off, and his pants were unbuttoned. We mauled each other the entire way to his bed, stripping and kissing.

“Fuck, I love you.” He pulled my pants and panties off as I unclasped my bra.

Settling between my legs, he wrapped his arms around me and pushed inside without warning.

I dug my nails into his back and arched into him. “Willis.”

“You’ll be saying that a lot today.” He thrust deep, his cock filling me as I kissed his neck and shoulders.

He started a leisurely rhythm, drawing out our pleasure with stroke after stroke. I clung to him, desperate for every touch, every bit of contact. My breasts rubbed against his chest, my nipples hard and needy as our sweaty bodies came together over and over.

His hands smoothed up my forearms and grabbed my wrists, pinning me as his strokes got harder.

“Yes,” I breathed. My pussy grew even wetter, the sounds of our lovemaking growing louder with each sultry push from his hips.

He bent to kiss me. I rose to meet him, but he backed away, the devil in his eyes.